Board game apparatus

ABSTRACT

A game board for play by two persons comprising a pair of independent playing sections each consisting of a pair of related playing areas respectively divided into playing positions identified by indicia, one of said pair of related playing areas comprising initial positions and the other of said pair of related playing areas comprising ultimate playing positions the indicia on each initial position being the same as that on the corresponding ultimate position, and playing pieces bearing indicia corresponding to indicia of said playing positions, said playing pieces to be moved from said initial to said ultimate playing positions in a competitive manner by said players.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Reuben F. Anderson 2,798,724 7/1957Wales 273/l3l K Route #1, Box 149, Swanville, Minn. 56382 PrimaryExaminer-Delbert B. Lowe [211 App. 29,853 AnorneyReifand Gregory 221Filed Apr. 20, 1970 [45] Patented Nov. 30, 1971 [54] BOARD GAMEAPPARATUS ABSTRCTt A game board for play by two persons compris- 1Claim, 3 Drawing 8% mg a palrlof laidependent playing sections eachconsisting of a pair 0 re ate playing areas respectively divided intoplaying [52] U.S.Cl 273/131 G pOSlllOllS identified by lndlcla, one ofsald pair of related play- Field of Search ing areas comprising initialpositions and the other of said pair of F phymg areas comprisingultimate y g positions Rderenm Cited :21: ll'ldlclsa ondeach itia:position being the same as that on y e corre pon mg u lma e position, anp aying pieces bear- UNITED STATES PATENTS ing indicia corresponding toindicia of said playing positions, 1,314,310 8/1919 Dorer 273/l3l K saidplaying pieces to be moved from aid initial t id m. l,545,842 7/1925Miller 273/131 G I nilate playing positions in 'a competitive manner bysaid p ayers.

v 1 2 M A s a; ogxN xi 0 0 =1 0 a 8 j @CD/ t x n i o d w; l l, H/ a 0 v7 A XM A/fi, .L. s a/o d 0 N I /Z0 v-w 1 1 0 H 9 5 3 0 as v HA 8 C D E FG H l J K /4 -P N O p Q R S T U V\\/ WV X\J Y\\/ Z h /6 A D E H 1 L M Po T u x i @G) i 22 C D Q D QD C D BOARD GAME APPARATUS BACKGROUND ANDSUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention herein relates to a new and noveleducational game played on a game board and involving the movement ofplaying pieces from designated initial positions to designated ultimatepositions, said playing pieces respectively bearing indiciacorresponding to indicia of said positions and representing the lettersof the alphabet.

It is an object of this invention to provide a game which involvesteaching characters and more particularly the alphabet with playingpieces and positions bearing indicia representing letter of thealphabet.

it is another object of the invention to provide a game apparatuscomprising a board and playing pieces to be moved in a designated wayupon said board, said pieces bearing indicia representing letters of thealphabet and said playing pieces being arranged in one sequence withrespect to said indicia for initial playing positions and being requiredto be arranged in another sequence in being moved to designated ultimatepositions.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a game for play by twopersons involving the movement of playing pieces in such a manner as torequire the bypass in a designated manner of one piece by another in themovement of said pieces from their initial positions to their designatedultimate positions and requiring one player to complete the transfer ofa set of said playing pieces prior to the transfer of a second set ofsaid pieces being accomplished by a competitive player to win the game.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be setforth in the following description made in connection with theaccompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer tosimilar parts throughout the several views and in which FIG. 1 is a planview of the playing board of the invention herein and showing disposedthereon playing pieces with the direction of movement of said piecesbeing indicated by broken lines;

FIG. 2 is a broken view of said playing board in side elevation showingplaying pieces thereon in dotted lines; and

FIG. 3 is a view in perspective of a playing piece.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A game board is indicated whichmay be formed of any suitable sufficiently rigid material such as hardpaper which has a surface suitable to accept indicia to appear thereon.

Said game broad has a border 11 which encompasses independent playingsections 12 and 14. Each playing section is divided into two playingareas or subsections. Section 12 is divided into subsections or areas 18and 20. Section 14 is divided into subsections or areas 22 and 24.

Said playing areas 18, 20, 22 and 24 each have 26 positions indicated bythe reference numeral 16 which are here shown as being rectangular inform and each bears indicia 17 in the form of a letter of the alphabet.

The playing areas 18 and 22 include the positions for playing pieces.The playing areas and 24 include the ultimate positions to which theplaying pieces are moved. Said playing pieces are indicated generally bythe reference numeral 27, and in the embodiment here presented saidplaying pieces are shown in the form of a disk. Each playing piece bearsthereon indicia here shown to be in the form of a letter of thealphabet. The set of playing pieces for the section [2 is indicatedgenerally by the reference numeral 29 and the set of playing pieces forthe section 14 is indicated generally by the reference numeral 30.

The indicia or letters 17 are indicated as being in a like arrangementor sequence in the playing areas 18 and 22 as illustrated and theindicia or letters of the playing areas 20 and 24 are in a specificallydifferent arrangement or sequence as illustrated.

The playing of the game requires that the playing pieces by moveddiagonally of a playing position 16 as indicated by broken lines in FIG.1.

ln playing the game, the playing pieces are first positioned in theareas 18 and 22 with each piece therein being placed in a playingposition which bears the same indicia as appears on the playing piece.This is illustrated.

Each player in turn must move all of the playing pieces from the areas18 and 22 to the areas 20 and 24. Each player in turn may move oneplaying piece through one position at a time.

There may be a direct diagonal line of travel for a given piece such asillustrated with the playing piece bearing the indicia E. Other playingpieces to reach their ultimate positions must be moved in a zigzag lineof travel. It is quite obvious from a study of the game board thatpieces may readily be moved through lack of preplanning such as to blockthe direct travel of other pieces from reaching their ultimate positionsand may require such pieces to be moved through relatively lengthy linesof travel to ultimate positions. It is readily noted that care must beexercised with respect to the playing pieces first moved to avoidblocking the path of travel of pieces later to be moved. Competitiveskill is exercised by the players in planning and executing the moves ofthe playing pieces.

The winner of the game will be the player who first moves all of hispieces from their initail positions to their ultimate positions. Thelength of travel from a starting position to the ultimate position withrespect to the pieces moved will determine the winner of the game. Theplayers may plan the strategy of their moves so that they may move acomplete set of playing pieces with each piece being moved through theshortest possible line of travel.

Players must exercise or develop skill in planning the movement of theirplaying pieces. Each player controls all of his playing pieces and thecompetitive interest in the game is present in carefully preplanning themass movement of the playing pieces through the shortest possible pathof travel of individual pieces.

This game has an appeal to a wide-spread age group and permits childrento play with adults or respectively with one another on a basis ofcompetitive playing skills.

Thus it is seen that there has been provided a game board which servesto teach the alphabet to preschool age youngsters and at the same timeprovides a game board on which such youngsters may play with olderchildren or with adults.

What is claimed is:

l. A game structure comprising a game board having a separated pair ofmutually exclusive independent playing sections thereon,

a set of playing pieces bearing indicia for each of said play-,-

ing sections,

each of said independent playing sections including a pair of relatedplaying areas, each pair of said related playing areas consisting ofinitial and 'ultimate playing positions for movement of said playingpieces from said initial to said ultimate playing positions, each ofsaid positions of said playing areas bearing indicia,

the initial positions of each of said related pair of playing areashaving the indicia thereon in a given arrangement and the ultimatepositions of each of said related pairs of playing areas having saidindicia thereon in an arrangement different from that of theirrespective areas of initial positions, and

the indicia of said playing pieces and the corresponding indicia of saidrespective positions being identical.

I! i I! t i

1. A game structure comprising a game board having a separated pair ofmutually exclusive independent playing sections thereon, a set ofplaying pieces bearing indicia for each of said playing sections, eachof said independent playing sections including a pair of related playingareas, each pair of said related playing areas consisting of initial andultimate playing positions for movement of said playing pieces from saidinitial to said ultimate playing positions, each of said positions ofsaid playing areas bearing indicia, tHe initial positions of each ofsaid related pair of playing areas having the indicia thereon in a givenarrangement and the ultimate positions of each of said related pairs ofplaying areas having said indicia thereon in an arrangement differentfrom that of their respective areas of initial positions, and theindicia of said playing pieces and the corresponding indicia of saidrespective positions being identical.